Comments Off on Mexico’s gorgeous Sunset Chapel looks like a gigantic boulder

Through several contrasting features, this striking chapel in Acapulco, Mexico embodies feelings of both hope and sadness. Mexico City-based Bunker Arquitectura constructed the Sunset Chapel on top of a hill and gave it an appearance of a huge boulder that blends into the natural environment. Bunker Arquitectura combined contrasting materials – glass and concrete – to embody elements of transparency and solidity, merging opposing ideas and religious contexts. The chapel mimics the large granite rocks piled up on the hill to blend into the surrounding landscape. Related: BNKR Arquitectura Reveals Plans for an Incredible Underground Skyscraper in Mexico City A triangular aperture functions as the main entrance into the small interior, while smaller slits in the walls provide views of the surroundings and allow natural light inside. A fully glazed wall on the upper floor features a crucifix which dominates the space. + Bunker Arquitectura Via Ignant Photos by Esteban Suárez

Comments Off on People in Denmark are earning up to $1,530 just by parking their EVs

What if you could get cash for parking your electric car ? Vehicle owners in Denmark have been able to do just that, bringing in around 1,300 Euros, or around $1,530, a year by feeding excess power back into the grid. Nissan Motor Company conducted trials in the country with Italy’s utility company Enel SpA to show how EV batteries could help ease constraints on the electrical grid. Nissan has run trials with over 100 cars throughout Europe, but so far only owners in Denmark have been able to earn cash by parking their vehicle and sending power to the grid . Using two-way charge points, owners have been able to rake in $1,530 annually, according to Nissan Europe energy services director Francisco Carranza. Related: Tesla is doubling its Supercharger network by the end of the year to 10,000 chargers Electric car owners in the United Kingdom could be next to score a payday – due to restrictions on accessing the market, Nissan needs to get up to 150 cars before people can earn money. Carranza estimates they could hit that number later this year. He told Bloomberg, “It’s just a matter of finding the appropriate business model to deploy the business wide-scale.” Electric car demand, expected to grow around the world, could place a strain on local electrical grid operators trying to figure out ways to balance demand. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, power consumption from cars will climb from around six terawatt-hours today to 1,800 terawatt-hours in 2040. The scheme of using car batteries to balance supply and demand could help grid operators while potentially allowing car owners to earn some extra money with minimal effort. According to a July 2017 Business Insider article , the Danish government recently cut back subsidies for electric vehicles and sales fell – at that point in 2017 a mere 182 electric cars had been sold in the country. But Denmark also has more EV charging docks than petrol stations. Via Bloomberg Images via Wikimedia Commons ( 1 , 2 )

Comments Off on Restorative Healing Gardens take over a concrete garage rooftop in L.A.

A healing green landscape has blossomed in the place of a former concrete plaza in Los Angeles. Local firm AHBE Landscape Architects transformed a concrete site atop a multi-level garage into the new Healing Gardens for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The unique, green roof -inspired system features four distinct gardens that promote healing, health, and well being for patients, hospital staff, and visitors. Since the site was located atop a building, AHBE had to develop a multi-layered landscape solution that would protect the existing building’s structural and mechanical integrity while accommodating four lushly planted gardens. “The Cedars-Sinai Healing Garden Plaza project presented several constraints that encouraged innovative thinking,” said Calvin Abe, FASLA, RLA, who led the project team. “The terraces had previously been unused for many years. We aimed to heal the epidermis of the complex by grafting a piece of living, breathing landscape above the existing parking decks.” The addition of the Healing Gardens is an extension of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s mission to prioritize quality patient care. Related: Light-filled Crown Sky Garden Offers Healing Properties at Children’s Hospital in Chicago The Healing Gardens comprise four distinct gardens with carefully crafted planting palettes. The Garden of Whimsy “lift[s] and energize[s] the human spirit” with undulating planters and a sculptural pavilion by Ball Nogues Studio as the focal point. In contrast to the more active Garden of Whimsy, the shaded Blue Garden is designed for quiet meditation and features private nooks and small circular reflecting pools. The open Plaza Garden accommodates a variety of events with moveable and convertible furniture ; the space is complemented with textural plants such as agaves and succulents. The Education Garden features “adaptive natives” from non-U.S. Mediterranean climates and includes space for outdoor lectures, health fairs, and informal meetings. + AHBE Landscape Architects Images by @heliphoto.net